Aircraft manufacturer Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force have selected BAE Systems to provide active side sticks as part of the overall cockpit controls for the KC-390 military transport aircraft. In 2011, BAE Systems was chosen to provide flight control electronics for the aircraft.

“We are very pleased that Embraer Defense and Security and the Brazilian Air Force have selected our fifth generation active side stick,” said Dr. Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of Commercial Aircraft Solutions for BAE Systems. “This is a strategic win for BAE Systems, and positions us to provide a stick-to-surface solution for the KC-390 aircraft.”

The KC-390 is a twin-turbofan powered medium-weight transport jet that can be refueled in flight and used for in-flight or on-ground refueling of other aircraft. BAE Systems has more than 20 years of experience in developing and producing active pilot controls. The company’s active side sticks have additional features and benefits over existing pilot control technologies, including electrical linking between pilot and co-pilot and changes in the force-feel characteristic depending on the flight modes and condition of the aircraft.

BAE Systems has more than four decades of experience in developing and producing fly-by-wire systems and has more than 20,000 systems in service on commercial and military aircraft around the world. The company will now provide software, hardware, system design and support integration of the active sticks and flight control electronics on the aircraft. Development of the civil-certified active stick system will be performed at BAE System’s facility in Rochester, United Kingdom.

“This additional contract with BAE Systems on the KC-390 flight controls reinforces our commitment to fitting the airplane with state-of-the-art equipment. Relying on BAE Systems’ extensive experience in this field will help us build the best solution for our customers,” said Eduardo Bonini Santos Pinto, senior vice president Operations & COO, Embraer Defense and Security.

BAE Systems has provided support to the Brazilian Armed Forces for Naval guns, radars and armored vehicles since 1998 from its office in Brasilia. The company is currently seeking to establish mutually beneficial industrial partnerships across the Brazilian defense and security industries.